Fictions (company)
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Predecessor | Private Division |
| Founded | December 14, 2017 in New York City, United States |
| Founder | Take-Two Interactive (as Private Division) |
| Fate | Divested from Take-Two Interactive and rebranded as Fictions in June 2025 |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, California , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Strauss Zelnick (former CEO of Private Division) |
| Products | Video game publishing |
| Owner | Haveli Investments (since November 2024) |
| Parent | Take-Two Interactive (until November 2024) |
| Website | www |
Fictions, Inc. (previously known as Private Division) is a United States-based video game publisher headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Established in December 2017 as a publishing division under Take-Two Interactive, it specializes in financing and releasing indie games developed by small to mid-tier studios. Its portfolio includes titles such as Kerbal Space Program alongside games from developers like Obsidian Entertainment, Panache Digital Games, and V1 Interactive.
Initially, Private Division maintained offices in New York City, Seattle, Las Vegas, and Munich. It represented Take-Two Interactive's third publishing brand following Rockstar Games and 2K Games. In November 2024, Take-Two divested Private Division, transferring ownership to Haveli Investments.
During the Private Division Era
Historically, Take-Two concentrated on its proprietary labels: Rockstar Games for action-adventure franchises including Grand Theft Auto, and 2K for diverse genres, collaborating mainly with large internal teams or established triple-A third-party developers such as Firaxis Games and Gearbox Software.
Private Division was launched to cater to "triple-I" titles—mid-level projects created by studios founded by seasoned industry veterans aiming to produce games that are more substantial than typical indie offerings but not as expansive as triple-A productions. Under the leadership of Michael Worosz, Take-Two’s head of corporate development and independent publishing, the label was designed to bridge funding challenges encountered by these mid-sized developers. Allen Murray joined in 2015 to oversee production and assemble the operational team.
The imprint supports developers by managing project schedules, milestones, publishing logistics, and distribution while deliberately avoiding claims on intellectual property rights.
At its inception on December 14, 2017, Private Division revealed four forthcoming projects: The Outer Worlds (developed by Obsidian Entertainment), Darkborn (The Outsiders), Disintegration (V1 Interactive), and Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey (Panache Digital Games). Additionally, it assumed publishing responsibilities for Kerbal Space Program, which Take-Two had previously acquired. Although the agreement with The Outsiders concluded in 2018, support persisted for several months thereafter.
In February 2020, Take-Two formed Intercept Games in Seattle under Private Division’s umbrella to develop Kerbal Space Program 2, recruiting talent from Star Theory Games.
By mid-2020, Private Division secured publishing agreements with Moon Studios, League of Geeks, and Roll7; notably acquiring Roll7 in November 2021. The League of Geeks project was eventually cancelled amid the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In March 2022, the label expanded its partnerships to include Die Gute Fabrik, Evening Star, Piccolo Studio, and Yellow Brick Games. Both Die Gute Fabrik and Yellow Brick independently published Saltsea Chronicles (2023) and Eternal Strands (2025), respectively. That August, Private Division collaborated with Wētā Workshop to release a Middle-Earth franchise title named Tales of the Shire, slated for July 2025. Later in December 2022, it announced a survival horror collaboration with Bloober Team for Cronos: The New Dawn, which was ultimately cancelled in May 2024.
In March 2023, layoffs impacted certain employees at Private Division as part of Take-Two's $50 million cost-cutting initiative. By May 2023, Private Division entered into a partnership with Pokémon creator Game Freak on an untitled action-adventure project codenamed Project Bloom, targeted for release during Take-Two's fiscal year 2026. In June 2023, the company unveiled Penny's Big Breakaway, which launched in February 2024.
As Fictions
In April 2024, Take-Two Interactive revealed its intention to reduce its workforce by 5% before the end of the year. This decision resulted in major layoffs at Private Division locations in Seattle, New York, Las Vegas, and Munich, alongside the shutdown of Roll7 and Intercept Games. Subsequent reports suggested that Take-Two planned to discontinue Private Division entirely.
By November, CEO Strauss Zelnick announced the divestment of Private Division to an undisclosed purchaser, enabling Take-Two to concentrate on AAA and mobile gaming ventures. The closures of Roll7 and Intercept Games remained in effect. While Take-Two continued to support No Rest for the Wicked, five other titles were transferred to the new ownership. In March 2025, Moon Studios acquired the publishing rights from Take-Two.
According to a January 2025 Bloomberg report, Haveli Investments, an investment firm, acquired Private Division's assets and recruited former Annapurna Interactive personnel to oversee publishing operations under a new brand. The company was rebranded as Fictions in June 2025, coinciding with the announcement of Lego Party and a relocation to a new office in Los Angeles.
Former
- Intercept Games, based in Seattle, Washington, established in February 2020 and closed in 2024.
- Roll7, located in London, England, founded in 2008, acquired by Private Division in November 2021 and shuttered in 2024.
As Private Division
| Year | Title | Developer(s) | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Kerbal Space Program: Enhanced Edition | BlitWorks, Squad | PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S |
| 2019 | Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey | Panache Digital Games | PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One |
| The Outer Worlds | Obsidian Entertainment | Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One | |
| 2020 | Disintegration | V1 Interactive | PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One |
| 2021 | Hades[lower-alpha 1] | Supergiant Games | PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S |
| 2022 | OlliOlli World | Roll7 | Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S |
| Rollerdrome | PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S | ||
| 2023 | After Us | Piccolo Studio | PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S |
| Kerbal Space Program 2[lower-alpha 2] | Star Theory Games, Intercept Games | PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | |
| 2024 | Penny's Big Breakaway | Evening Star | Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S |
| No Rest for the Wicked[lower-alpha 3] | Moon Studios | PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S | |
| 2025 | Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game | Wētā Workshop | Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S, iOS, Android |
As Fictions
| Year | Title | Developer(s) | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Lego Party | SMG Studio | Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S |
| 2026 | Beast of Reincarnation | Game Freak | PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S |
| Armatus | Counterplay Games | PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S |
External links
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